Hills (Flooded Valleys) – In Grenada (Free Download / Buy)
Philly’s In Grenada’s may still be growing, but their first album Break, a home recorded piece, has the polish and musicianship of a much more established band. Collected and recorded over a period of two years, the album originally consisted of 20 tracks that were weeded down to the 10 currently on the album. While the band members apparently shifted during this time, the music itself has a consistent and definite direction, likely driven by singer Jesse Leyh, who remained the songwriting cornerstone during that time.
In Grenada’s guitar tones keep a retro-simplicity that relies on crisp riffs and a clean, consistent sound. This quality is surprisingly the perfect compliment (or contrast) to the fluctuating, echoed vocals of Leyh. Singing with a combination of Brit-rock gusto and country twang on almost every track, he brings an intense feeling and inflection that takes many of the songs to a much higher level. Their song “Keep That River Running Home”, for instance, acts as the perfect demonstration. Beginning with simple guitar strumming, Leyh opens with, “In this place, the wells run dry,” incorporating a strong melody and vocal range into the music.
The songs “There’s A Change” and “Beating Heart”, are welcome variations to the overall pattern of the record. The acoustic driven “There’s A Change” has a more bluesy guitar mix that remains solemn and calming without ever being boring. “Beating Heart”, probably one of the most interesting songs based on its composition, has much more movement then some of the other tracks. Building slowly to the final chorus, the bridge transitions to a simpler, lighter variation of the music. The stronger use of drums in the mix in “On the Line”, the final song, is also a great variation to many of the other tracks where the percussion isn’t as prominent.
If you live in Philly, I highly suggest going to see this band play. With harmonica elements, sharp guitar, and these vocals, I imagine these guys would play an excellent set!
